Friday, December 14, 2012

On the ownership of Military Style weapons

One thing has often struck me regarding the private ownership of military style weapons, and their relationship to the 2nd Amendment. While many have commented on the use of firearms as a doomsday provision against domestic tyranny, we forget, sometimes, that they are also a hedge against foreign invasion.

In this time, and current global climate, I would not be the first to admit that the United States is the pre-eminant military power, in terms of technology and influence. We field a combined Army, Navy, including the Marine Corp, and Air Force made up entirely of volunteer servicemen, with the ability to project our military influence into any corner of the globe. Technological advances allow us to wage war or defend our sovereignty in minutes, rather than weeks. We have not seen a foreign military attack the Continental US for 200 years. I do not doubt that this has led, at least in part, to the belief that such a thing is not possible, nor ever will be.

That belief is wrong.

Part of the reason that we maintain the ability to project strength abroad is due to the fact that a foreign invasion would be unlikely to succeed. We are able to deploy our military internationally because we do not require the bulk of it to remain at home. And why is that? Domestic gun ownership. The United States has more civilians under arms, and willing to defend her, than most other countries have soldiers in their standing armies. In addition, many of those armies are made up of conscripts and/or mandatory enlistment. Because we have such domestic strength, we can focus our efforts outside of the country, to intercept threats at a greater distance, and offer greater aid to our allies.

That ability is under threat. While our enemies multiply and grow in strength, our country is flagging. Safety and security have dulled our natural watchfulness. That very watchfulness saw us through the most destructive land wars in modern history. The very specter of our domestic strength turned away the fiercest enemies our nation ever faced, without firing a single shot. If we turn away from that now, if we sacrifice our own strength to appease the baseless fears of others, we stand to lose more than we ever were threatened with during WWII.

During that war, we saw our allies beaten and bloodied by a foe they once thought vanquished. Britain, in particular, felt so newly secure that they destroyed massive amounts of military equipment, safe in the knowledge that such war could never come again. When it did, we put our manufacturing might to work building not only our own weapons, but theirs as well. The United States were the source of firepower for no less than three major players in the war. If we sacrifice that ability, and the security of a well armed nation, I do not see an ally that will be willing or able to fill the supply if war revisits our shores.

THAT is the well regulated militia. A militia consisting of anyone willing, able, and supplied to defend our nation.